The present application claims the benefit of Germany Application 101 09 414.0, which was filed on 27th Feb. 2001.
The invention relates to a device for manufacturing a folding top of a convertible as well as to a method of manufacturing a folding top.
The DE 298 17 980.6 discloses the attachment of a frame region of a folding top to a rear window, which is encircled by this frame region, the rear window itself not forming a frame and being connected directly to the frame region of the folding top by means of an interposed welded sheet. The objective of such a connection is to achieve as flat a frame region as possible, which borders the rear window, or a different window held within the folding top, without a bead-like protrusion, in order to be optically unobtrusive and to ensure good visibility, which is not limited by protruding frames.
Since only a narrow region of the edge of the windowpane is taken hold of by the frame region of the folding top, an accurate alignment of the parts to one another is necessary.
It is an object of the invention to make it possible to manufacture folding tops by a machine device, the folding tops encircling a windowpane, particularly a rear window, which is encircled directly by a frame region and is otherwise frameless.
By means of the device, an accurately fitting connection between the windowpane and the surrounding frame region can be brought about. At the same time, the frame region can be part of, for example, a flexible folding top fabric and held in the device firmly and aligned. In this position, the rear window is provided and aligned over the fixing device in such a manner, that only a very narrow overlapping region to the rear window is formed. By these means, the field of view can be retained almost over the whole size of the windowpane.
If the fixing device comprises thrust elements, which act on the windowpane over its edges, the windowpane need not be taken hold of by holding elements. A xe2x80x9cpossibly reactivexe2x80x9d adhesive, applied in the edge region of the windowpane, is therefore not affected by the fixing device. The thrust elements preferably are distributed around the windowpane in order to be able to produce a thrust from any direction and thus be able to transfer the windowpane from any defective position into an accurately fitting end position. It is particularly advantageous in this connection if the holding elements are coupled to one another and can be moved simultaneously in this coupled position. The coupling can be constructed in the form of a surrounding strap of a screw clamp, by means of which a force is exerted on all thrust elements in the same way. Accordingly, by exerting tension on the surrounding strap, the same end position of the window frame is necessarily reached without the need for a separate control program for this purpose.
A particularly advantageous development arises if the thrust elements are held at a subassembly, which is to be opened and which, in the open position, does not interfere with the insertion of the windowpane. For example, two pivotable supporting frames can be constructed for this purpose, which can be coupled together in the closed position and thus overlap the frame region of the part encircling the folding top.
For the construction of an electrode for introducing heat, which grips the frame region from below and has a shoulder, the sewing or gluing of a bend of the frame region can be taken into account. The region, turned over, need not extend over the whole width of the electrode. Instead, it need only be a few millimeters up to a few centimeters wide and nevertheless, experience a supporting surface with a uniform heat input from the electrode. However, the shoulder may extend over the whole course of the electrode following the frame region.
It is particularly advantageous if the inside edge of the windowpane is overlapped by a covering strip, in order to achieve an optimally pleasing termination from the inside and to form a mechanically-stable connection by the double holding of the edge of the windowpane from both sides. In order to make such a connection possible, two operational steps are provided in the device. Initially, in the first step, the part of the folding top, encircling the frame region, is connected with the windowpane and, in the second step, the covering strip is welded to the outer part of the folding top.
Further advantages and details arise out of an example of the object of the invention, which is shown in the accompanying drawings.